The childhood home of Robert E. Lee is on sale for $5.9 million, without mentioning the general
The historic two-story brick household at 607-601 Oronoco Street in Alexandria, Virginia is once again on sale for $5.9 million – but this time, real estate agents omitted the fact that it was once Confederate General Robert E. Lee’s boyhood home.
Lee, a controversial figure who owned slaves and fought for the Confederacy in the American Civil War, moved into the sprawling 8,145-square-foot home at the age of five, after his father, Virginia Gov. Henry ‘Light-Horse Harry’ Lee III was released from debtors prison, and a relative, William Henry Fitzhugh rented them the property.
He grew up there, until he left home for West Point Military Academy in 1825.
Soon, he rose to fame in service for his country, but when Virginia seceded from the Union in 1825, he took the side of his home state and fought for the Confederacy in the Civil War.
Following his defeat at Appomattox in 1865, Lee returned to the house, climbing over a wall to see if the snowball bushes he grew up with were still in bloom, according to a historical marker outside of the house.
The house, officially known as the Potts-Fitzhugh House – after its first and second owners, John Potts and William Fitzhugh, is now on the National Register of Historic Places and is also known for having George Washington, a friend of Fitzhugh’s, dine there.
Another Revolutionary War hero, Marquis de Lafayette, also reportedly visited the home in 1824 during a years-long ‘homecoming’ tour of the United States.
But the listing for the property does not mention any of this history, and has apparently photoshopped a picture of the house to eliminate the large historical marker in front, listing it as ‘Lee’s boyhood home,’ the Washington Post reports.
DailyMail.com has reached out to the listing agent for comment.
A listing for Robert E. Lee’s childhood home on Realtor.com seems to have edited out a historic marker in the front
The sprawling property sits on a half-acre double lot in the heart of Alexandria’s Old Town
The six-bedroom, four and a half bath house also offers lush grounds with plenty of specimen trees
After his defeat in the Civil War, Lee reportedly returned to the house to determine whether the snowball bushes he grew up with were still there, according to a historic marker outside the house
The home had previously served as a museum of the former general but was sold in 2000 to Mark and Ann Kington
The house had previously served as a museum of the former general, but in 2000, Mark and Ann Kington purchased the property for $2.5 million from the Lee-Jackson Foundation, when the nonprofit could no longer afford its upkeep, the New York Post reports.
After a three-year, multimillion-dollar renovation, the couple lived in the home in Alexandria’s historic Old Town with their children. But it is now too big for the couple, whose children have since moved out.
The 226-year-old, six bedroom home home had previously been sold in 2019, when Lee’s identity was on full display in its listing.
It fetched $4.7 million, according to the Guardian, and has since undergone renovations and restoration.
The Potts-Fitzhugh house was then put back on the market last year for $8.5 million, before the owners reduced the price to the $5.6 million it is selling for today.
Still, the New York Post reports, the price of the home is far above the median price of $549,900 and is the most expensive home in the city.
A winding staircase is the centerpiece of the 226-year-old home
There are plenty of seating areas throughout the house for guests and residents to relax in
‘The grand entrance greets you to a storybook foyer,’ the listing on Realtor.com says
The original windows have been removed and replaced, but still maintains the colonial feel of the home
The house has been redone over the years, with the Kingtons removing 43 layers of paint when they purchased it
The primary bedroom features its own fireplace for those cold winter nights
The master bedroom also has its own private dressing area
Today, the sprawling six-bedroom, four and a half-bath mansion maintains much of its colonial charm.
It sits on a half-acre, double lot in the heart of Alexandria’s Old Town and boasts high ceilings, multiple seating areas and a large formal dining room with floor to ceiling windows.
There is also an oversized great room, and a master suite with its own custom dressing room and fireplace.
‘The grand entrance greets you to a storybook foyer,’ the listing on Realtor.com says, ‘with magnificent architecture juxtaposed with historic period details and natural light, creating both a majestic yet warm scene.’
The original windows were also rebuilt or replaced to maintain the colonial look, and the large garden that Lee once enjoyed as a child still stands.
‘Designed with traditional elegance, this timeless estate is light, bright and open throughout,’ the listing boasts, noting that the estate ‘is truly magical’ with ‘patios, countless specimen trees and lush grounds outside the home.’
The house also features high ceilings and a formal dining room with floor to ceiling windows
A fireplace sits just outside the kitchen so that you can warm up as you wait for your food
The attic area is also rather large, perfect for storage or another bedroom
The large garden that Lee enjoyed as a child still stands on the property
But not everything is the way Lee would remember it, as it has been renovated over the years to become more modern.
A whopping 43 layers of paint were removed under the direction of the Kingtons, according to the New York Post, and the primary suite now has a spa bath with dual vanities and a soaking tub.
The kitchen has also been redone with much more modern appliances, as well a center island and glass-front cabinets.
And past the garden is a stand-alone two-car garage and a studio space.
Other features include an office and a recreation room.
But the kitchen has been modernized with new appliances and glass-front cabinets
There is also a washer and a dryer – something Lee did not have when he was growing up
The primary bathroom features a spa bath with dual vanities and a soaking tub.
There are a total of four-and-a-half bathrooms inside the large house
The listing says it is conveniently located to the Metro and National Airport
Past the garden sits a two-story garage, which Lee did not need to use when he was growing up
The house is also in a convenient location, according to its listing, with easy access to National Airport, Metro stops and Amazon’s HQ2 in Arlington.
It is just steps from shops, restaurants, grocery stores, Founders Park and the Potomac River waterfront marina, according to the New York Post.
Nearby schools include a highly-rated elementary named in part for Thomas Jefferson, according to the Guardian, another controversial historic figure for his enslavement of people and alleged rape of one of his slaves.
The Jefferson-Houston school is also named for Charles Hamilton Houston, the first general counsel to the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and a pioneer of school integration.
It promises ‘Equity for all.’
Lee, center, has become a controversial figure for owning slaves and fighting for the Confederacy’s right to own slaves in the American Civil War
In the past six years, Lee statues have come down throughout the South
Just last month, one Lee statues was lifted off its podia from Richmond, Virginia
General Lee has become a controversial figure over the years for his support of slavery and fighting to keep the right to slaves as a general for the Confederacy.
Over the past six years, Washington Post reports, Lee statues have come down throughout the South, as protesters condemned the general for owning slaves.
The 2017 Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, which led to the death of Heather Heyer by a neo-Nazi was sparked by opposition to another Lee statue.
It was finally taken down in July, and another statue in Richmond, Virginia was taken down just last month.
Meanwhile, the Guardian reports, Lee’s even larger home at Arlington still stands, as part of the national cemetery the government built on its grounds.